An interesting excerpt:

Then there's Scott Brusaw of northern Idaho, who is still working to develop
his "solar roads" idea. Brusaw wants to replace the thousands of
miles of blacktop roads in the United States with heavy duty roads made of
solar panels. The idea is a great one, if it can work. The electricity
generated by the roads would not only take care of all of America's energy
needs, but would make the possibility of electric cars far more feasible since
recharge stations could be set up anywhere along the roads. The roads could
generate enough heat to melt heavy snow, eliminating the winter wear and tear
on cars, drivers, and roads. Telephone and electric lines could be
laid under the roads, eliminating the need for wires strung up on poles.
Brusaw is filled with ideas.

Clean, safe nuclear power seems a bit uncertain these days, with nuclear
reactors exploding in Japan while the world watches in tense anticipation. A
third explosion rocked the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant early
Tuesday, spewing radiation into the air. Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned
people within 12 miles of the plant to evacuate and those within 19 miles to
stay indoors. As fuel prices rise at the pumps, and the anniversary of the Gulf
oil spill looms next month, a desire for safer ways of producing energy
tops many people's minds.

In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster blew a plume of radiation across
Europe. Interestingly, Chernobyl means "wormwood" in Russian, (cf.
Rev 8:11). There are fears that something similar might happen in eastern Asia,
but the damage caused by the Japanese reactors won't likely duplicate the
Chernobyl disaster. The Japanese reactors are housed in a protective container
to deter radiation leakage. However, workers are struggling to keep the fuel
rods at the Dai-ichi plant covered with water, and it appears the fuel rods are
melting.

The current nuclear danger in Japan has certainly bolstered the position of
those who fight against using nuclear power. The construction of Taiwan's No. 4
nuclear power plant is under attack by environmentalists and the nation's main
opposition party due to safety concerns. East Asia is earthquake territory, and
while the recent Japanese quake was one of the largest in recorded history, it
will not be the last.

Professor Shih Hsin-min, of National Taiwan University's Department of Chemical
Engineering, called for Taiwan to upgrade its nuclear plants' ability to
withstand earthquakes. The Green Party spokesman Pan Han-sheng, on the other
hand, just wants construction on Taiwan's fourth nuclear plant to stop
altogether, declaring that Taiwan would "meet its doom" if it faced a
nuclear accident like the one Japan is dealing with right now.

Use of nuclear power has not caused its share of problems. A stuck valve
resulted in the partial core meltdown of Unit 2 at Three Mile Island near
Harrisburg, PA in 1979. Up to 481 P Bq (13 million curies) of radioactive gases
were released. Yet, the majority of the world's 442 nuclear reactors operate
without making much noise at all. Of the world's nations, the United
States produces the most nuclear power with its 104 reactors, accounting for
about 19% of its energy consumption. France uses its 58 reactors to produce 80%
of the energy it needs. Nuclear power is pretty darn safe, considering that the
majority of Japan's 54 reactors are doing okay, despite the country's having
just suffered a 9.0 magnitude earthquake.

The problem, of course, is that while nuclear power plants operate just peachy
most of the time, thousands or even millions of people can be harmed when there
is an "issue".

The quest for better means of energy production continues. The cost of
installing a photovoltaic system has cut in half since 2000, and the solar
energy market has grown to $71.2 billion in 2010 from $2.5 billion a decade
ago. As one drives across America, whether through Washington State or
Texas, it is common to see dozens or hundreds of huge windmills jutting across
the horizon. According to the LA Times, the wind industry is growing
in sweeping leaps, from $4.5 billion in 2000 to $60.5 billion last
year. Not everybody likes the windmills; they are despised as
eyesores or accused of killing birds and bats, but they continue to
sprout up like giant dandylions across the country. Clean energy is
big business these days, with nearly one-fourth of all venture capital going
into clean-technology ventures. That's a big change from 2000, when just 1% of
venture capitalists dared to jump onto the "clean" wagon.

Then there's Scott Brusaw of northern Idaho, who is still working to develop
his "solar roads" idea. Brusaw wants to replace the thousands of
miles of blacktop roads in the United States with heavy duty roads made of
solar panels. The idea is a great one, if it can work. The electricity
generated by the roads would not only take care of all of America's energy
needs, but would make the possibility of electric cars far more feasible since
recharge stations could be set up anywhere along the roads. The roads could
generate enough heat to melt heavy snow, eliminating the winter wear and tear
on cars, drivers, and roads. Telephone and electric lines could be
laid under the roads, eliminating the need for wires strung up on poles.
Brusaw is filled with ideas.

The reality of solar roads is still a long way off, but Brusaw's got hope. In
the fall of 2009, the US government gave him $100,000 to build solar
panels for test driving. The government has just invited Brusaw to apply for a
$750,000 contract in funding so that he can build and test a real solar parking
lot.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and we need to find new and improved ways
to produce energy. As we work to find an escape route from our
dependence on foreign oil and look for alternatives that can keep us
running smoothly, the Scott Brusaws of the world might just be our best bet.